Duties and responsibilities of Local Authorities

The Road Traffic Act (RTA) 1988 (as amended by the RTA 1991) places a statutory responsibility for road safety on local authorities. The act requires local authorities to prepare and carry out a programme of measures designed to promote road safety and enable a contribution to be made towards the cost of promoting road safety measures, which include the following:

• Education
• Training
• Publicity
• Safety Audits
• Road Safety
• Engineering

What we do?

Education

Road safety awareness needs to be developed from an early age, with a structured programme of road safety education being taught throughout each year of a child's development.

Bedfordshire Road Safety Officers have regular contact with 220 schools across Bedfordshire, and operate a support service to schools assisting teachers and pupils alike.

The success of the Road Safety officer's work in schools is the result of a partnership with teachers who maintain a steady flow of information on Road Safety issues.

Training

Another vital element of Road Safety Education, Training and Publicity is training road users to use roads in the County in a safer way. Road safety either directly provides or enables training for:

• Pedestrians
• Cyclists
• Car drivers
• Motor cyclists
• Mini Bus Drivers

Ensuring lessons learnt in theory can be put into practice, thus teaching practical as well as theoretical skills.

Publicity

Road Safety Education, Training and Publicity promote the road safety message by supporting and attending major events, both locally and nationally. Publicity reinforces the message to the general public and can have its contribution within various engineering activities, such as urban safety management schemes.

Speed is a major concern with the general public. We intend to continue to promote and support anti speed publicity campaigns.